This blog is devoted to answering the questions that people have with Beachbody programs, like P90X and Insanity, that go beyond what is in the program guides.
For my current exercise routine, I decided that I needed a program that was as effective in all aspects of physical condition as possible. In my opinion, you are never going to get a more comprehensive program than P90X. P90X’s downside is that it is relatively weak on leg work. For that reason, I wanted to combine it with Asylum, which possibly has the most effective leg work and endurance training that you can find.
The Asylum workouts also have the advantage that they are significantly shorter than P90X workouts, while definitely being more effective. For example, Plyo X is about 58 minutes, while Vertical Plyo is only 38 minutes and few people would argue that Vertical Plyo is significantly better than Plyo X.
So I was asked to share my program, which I believe is not only more effective, but frequently has shorter workouts. I also include some P90X One on Ones, which adds some variety and is also potentially shorter and more effective.
My Schedule
Weeks 1-3, 9 and 11
Day 1 – P90X Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Asylum Vertical Plyo
Day 3 – P90X One on One Shoulders & Arms 2 and Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – P90X One on One Fountain of Youth
Day 5 – P90X One on One Back & Base and Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Asylum Speed & Agility
Day 7 – P90X X Stretch
Week 4, 8 and 13
Day 1 – P90X One on One Fountain of Youth
Day 2 – P90X+ Total Body +
Day 3 – P90X+ Kenpo/Cardio +
Day 4 – P90X X Stretch
Day 5 – P90X+ Total Body +
Day 6 – P90X One on One Fountain of Youth
Day 7 – Rest
Weeks 5-7, 10 and 12
Day 1 – P90X Back & Biceps and Ab Ripper X
Day 2 – Asylum Vertical Plyo
Day 3 – P90X Chest, Shoulders and Tris and Ab Ripper X
Day 4 – P90X One on One Fountain of Youth
Day 5 – P90X One on One Back & Base and Ab Ripper X
Day 6 – Asylum Speed & Agility
Day 7 – P90X X Stretch
Alternative Workouts
As you can see, I make use of various One on Ones as well as P90X+ workouts. If you don’t have Fountain of Youth, you can use Yoga X or the One on One Yoga:MC2. If you don’t have Base & Back, use Legs & Back. If you don’t have Shoulders & Arms 2, use Shoulders & Arms. If you don’t have Total Body +, you can use Asylum Strength or continue to use Core Synergistics. If you want to add more One on Ones, you can V-Sculpt is a replacement for Back & Biceps and Upper Body X is a replacement for Chest, Shoulders & Tris.
Getting the Most Out of Your Workouts
So this is the hybrid I currently settled into so that I get the most out of what I consider the best Beachbody programs to get extreme results, while saving some time as well, specifically P90X and Asylum. Adding variety to your workouts is also important. It can get tiring to do the same routine for years, no matter how much you love it. You can potentially integrate in other programs, but if you want something that you can do for long periods of time, I would recommend that you generally follow the P90X schedule.
Day 3 of Asylum is Strength. I have to admit it isnt necessarily what I was expecting, but it was an Asylum workout. I was definitely slowly getting worn away throughout the workout.
I guess I was expecting a P90X style workout, where you do sets of a defined exercise to exhaustion. The strength work was much more like Core Synergistics type of strength workout (to the extreme), where you are doing moves for a period of time, as opposed to a point that you are burned out. Also, similar to Core Synergistics, the exercises dont isolate a single muscle group, but combine multiple muscle groups.
The warm up is about 10 minutes, and uses dumbbells in a dynamic way. For example, holding a dumbbell, you do a squat, and then rotate it around your head. You also lunge to a side holding a dumbbell and then do a couple of rows. In this workout, you do repeat sequences of events. However as opposed to doing an exercise harder in the second and third sequence (as you would in Insanity), Shaun T makes the moves more complicated. This is how it is throughout the workout.
Again, there is a short stretch, and you go into the strength training. The exercises get progressively more intense. Again, as the time goes on, you get worn down. There aren't any max rep exercises. While a pull up bar is desireable, there is only one set of real pull ups. There is also a mountain climber set of pull ups, where you dont necessarily pull yourself up, but you hold yourself in position with your chin above your bar, and then you attempt to switch your hands into different positions. This is really hard.
While a pull up bar is desirable, there are non-pull up options for all exercises, so you really dont need a pull up bar.
I am assuming that there is some more strength work in the other exercises. At this point, I would describe this strength work as much more like P90X+ than P90X. If you are not familiar with P90X+, then consider it a much harder version of Core Synergistics. I know it will create much more muscle endurance, and to say I was profusely sweating is an understatement. Whatever you want to call it, it is a very serious workout that does work your whole body. However I want people to be aware of what to expect.
The first official day of Asylum is the Speed and Agility DVD. As with all Insanity workouts, you never know what to expect. However, the Fit Test did give you a feel for what to expect. So, here is the first impression review of what to expect in the workout and review of the workout.
The warm up was actually a series of primarily jump rope exercises about a minute each. These include jumping rope with high knees, criss crossing, etc. Every set was about a minute each and it ended up being about 10 minutes long. There is no repeating of the exercises multiple times. There is no bar graph on the bottom of the page about the level of difficulty, like there is in Insanity. I guess the philosphy is that you are always supposed to push yourself. Stretching was less than 5 minutes.
I have to admit that the early part of the actual workout was more difficult mentally than physically. It was a lot of concentration to do the quick feet through the agility ladder. For the first section of the workout, I really didnt feel like I was being worked that hard, and probably could have got a more effective workout if I wasnt worried about fast feet stepping in the right places. I assume that over the next 30 days, it will get better.
However the workout did become progressively harder. You can see the value of the agility ladder, as In and Outs are now measured and you are pushed to bring your feet in tight. That takes a lot of work after awhile, and Shaun T keeps coming back to Ins and Outs. There are a few moving push ups. I lot of hops on one and two legs that begin to wear you out. Also, I was surprisingly hurting doing Bear Crawls, which you end up doing several variations of throughout the last 15 minutes.
I dont intend to go exercise by exercise through the program, but in general, you do a move for a minute and then move on. You do come back to In and Outs, and do variation of some of the moves you did before. Again, Asylum is emerging to be much more like a Pure Cardio workout, where you dont go through multiple sets that you do with more effort in the progressive sets. It is go all out on every set. I did this workout in a hotel room with the air conditioning on very high, and yet despite my early comments about the workout being more mentally than physically hard, I was drenched in sweat. So far it appears that Insanity is meant to make you a better athlete, who needs agility as much as they need to build up endurace. I am not sure if I can say that this workout was harder than lets say, Max Plyo, but if I stick with it, I know I will be quicker and possibly as fit.
This is however Day 2 and there are 6 more DVDs to try out. There is however a theme that seems to be emerging that Asylum is definitely more in tune to make you a better athlete, rather than just getting you in better shape. Strength is tonight when I get back home.
Now that Asylum is out, there are a lot of people who want to know how it differs from the other programs. Is it worth it? Which program should you pick? Etc? In short, Asylum is the most extreme program that Beachbody produces, and could easily be the most intense home fitness program ever. However, that by itself doesn't adequately describe the program.
What is INSANITY: THE ASYLUM™?
INSANITY: THE ASYLUM is the first in-home sports-specific training program based on drills used by pro athletes. During this intense 30-day program, you’ll practice moving like a football running back, serve aces like a tennis pro, score points like an all-star guard, and more. Your instructor, Shaun T, creator of successful programs like INSANITY® and Hip Hop Abs®, will help you spike your speed, coordination, agility, strength, and power to an elite athlete level.
That is the Beachbody description of the program. In short, it is intense sports condition that will take anyone to the next level of athletic performance.
The Basics
Asylum is a 30 day DVD based home fitness program. It includes 8 DVDs. The 6 main DVDs are generally 45 minutes each, with the stretch DVD being 25 minutes, and a longer workout being 60 minutes. There is also the equivalent of a Fit Test for 25 minutes and an Overtime workout being 15 minutes that you can do at the end of any other workout to add more intensity.
Unlike Insanity, Asylum is definitely a full body workout and requires a pull up bar and dumbbells, or bands. The Asylum Base Set contains the DVDs, an agility ladder, a jump rope and the supporting books and charts. There is a Deluxe Set that includes bands and a pull up bar. The sets are $89 and $179 respectively.
Why is it effective?
Shaun T built INSANITY: THE ASYLUM on three cross-training cycles. During Cycle 1, he’ll push you to master a series of core sports exercises. Once you’ve gotten those under control, the real fun begins. As you step up to Cycle 2 and Cycle 3, Shaun T challenges you to dig even deeper with more complicated sports moves and progressively tougher drills. This combination pushes you to use more muscles and develop skills that give you a measurable competitive edge.
What makes INSANITY: THE ASYLUM unique?
Elite athletes use proven sports training drills to sharpen their game-day skills and get into astonishing shape. Now with INSANITY: THE ASYLUM, you can too. With its included Agility Ladder and Speed Rope, you’ll train with more focus, concentration, and skill—just like an elite pro athlete. After 30 days, you’ll get faster, stronger, and more agile than you ever imagined—enabling you to perform any sport or activity with eye-popping speed and skill.
How does it work?
INSANITY: THE ASYLUM combines MAX Interval Training with progressive sports drills to push you to Dig Deeper® than ever. Shaun T will lead you through sports-based exercises that get progressively harder. So you’ll burn calories, build muscle, and unleash your inner world-class athlete. In just 30 days, you’ll be ready to compete, with dramatic, measurable improvements in your athletic ability.
Who Should Do Asylum?
Beachbody tells coaches that the ideal Asylum user has already completed P90X, Insanity, or another extreme program. It is also described as being for current or former athletes who want to take their performance to the next level. Shaun T basically told a group of us that it is basically for someone who is already an athlete at some level.
Who Shouldn't Do Asylum?
Here is the exact quote from Beachbody as to who shouldn't do Asylum:
Beginners; pregnant women; children; people who aren’t willing to work hard; people with back, neck, joint, or other injuries; or people who don’t consistently do high-impact exercise.
I have to admit that it is a peeve of mine when I hear people tell other people with pain or who are clearly beginners that they should take on an extreme workout. In my opinion, even assuming the person doesn't injure themself, it is unlikely that they will complete an extreme program and just waste their money. Please just accept that if Beachbody says you shouldn't buy their program, you shouldn't buy their program.
If You're Not Ready For Asylum
If you are hesitant to do Asylum, there is nothing wrong with doing P90X or Insanity to establish a base. P90X is a more forgiving workout that is great preparation for Insanity and Asylum. However, you will have a big wake up call, if you haven't done Insanity before Asylum.
Asylum Will Get You To The Next Level
Shaun T told a small group of coaches that he added 6" to his vertical leap after going through Asylum. If it can give Shaun T that level of improvement, just imagine what it can do for the average person. If you are ready for the challenge, then take it.
Since Beachbody offers a lot of great home fitness programs, I am frequently asked, “Which is the best program?” I don’t know why people are surprised when I answer, “There is no single best program.” The reason is that every program has its own unique benefits. Some people would prefer one trainer over another. Some people hate Tony Horton, while others love him. Some people want an extreme workout, like Insanity, while others haven’t worked out for a decade and need a program, like Project You: Type 2. Some people run frequently and want to improve their upper body. In short, the best program depends on you.
Factors to Consider
There are a variety of issues to consider when choosing a fitness program. These factors include the program goals, trainers, program focus, program philosophy, length of program, your current condition, among other factors. Too many people go for a program that is the most popular, or listen to success stories, and that is how they make their decisions. All too often, the person will give up on the program and just waste their money. So, stop listening to the infomercials and let’s take a logical look at what to consider.
Program Difficulty
P90X and Insanity are the most popular programs out there, specifically because they are extreme. The infomercials promise that they will push you to your limits, and people think the fat melts away. They want to make the radical change in life that these programs can deliver. If that works for you, that is great. However, I contend that if you are not in good condition to start, it is probably better to be able to do 80% of an easier program like Power 90, than 40% of a harder program like P90X.
Similarly, if you want a cardio based program, Insanity is the extreme program, but you might find it easier to get through a comparatively easier program like TurboFire. It is not just that you can physically get through more of the program, and therefore burn more calories, it is probably psychologically better as well. You are more likely to continue with a workout that doesn’t make you feel like a failure if you can’t do most of it.
So in short, yes, you can get through a harder workout, but getting the most out of the process is more important than stumbling through a harder program.
Trainers
The style of a trainer can make or break a program for most people. If the trainer annoys you, then you are much less likely to finish the program. Personally, Shaun T’s style in Hip Hop Abs was hard for me to take when I did that workout. However, he is awesome, to me, in Insanity. While most people love Tony Horton’s sense of humor, there are many who hate it. Chalene Johnson is definitely the iconic aerobics instructor with all of her energy and constant smile during the hardest workouts. Many women love that style, while some men despise it on principle. Look at the sample videos and see if you appreciate the trainer’s style.
While P90X is possibly the most effective program out there, it does take the largest time commitment. P90X takes an average of 75 minutes a day and runs from 60-90 minutes 6 days a week. Then you have the other extreme of 10 Minute Trainer. With workouts that are 10 minutes long, you really have no excuses not to workout. The other programs fit somewhere within that range. The best fitness program for you is clearly one that you have time to do. Just keep in mind that the longer the workout, the better your results will be.
Making Your Choice
You need to chose the program that is best for you. If you choose a program you don't stick with, I contend that it is the program's fault, and not your's. Take advantage of Beachbody's return policy, and exchange it for a program that better matches your needs.
I'm Here To Help
I realize that this can all be overwhelming. However if you want help making your decision, or to return a program and get another one, please feel free to send me a message. I have tried all of the popular programs, and can help you make a better decision. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me at ira@xcompanionguide.com.
